


Hazy Shade of Winter

by addledwalrus



Category: Original Work
Genre: 1980s, 1990s, 80's Music, 90's Music, Authority Figures, Bigotry & Prejudice, Christmas, Co-workers, Cold War, Crimes & Criminals, Cultural References, Debt, Drama, F/M, Financial Issues, Gang Violence, Gangs, Gangsters, Guitars, Gun Violence, Gunshot Wounds, Historical, Historical References, Hospitalization, Hospitals, Inspired by Music, Italian-American Character, Masks, Meeting the Parents, Mixtape, Music, Near Death, Near Death Experiences, New Year's Eve, Organized Crime, Police, Pop Culture, Quentin Tarantino References, Recovery, Repaying Debt, Romance, Vandalism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-29
Updated: 2018-06-29
Packaged: 2019-05-30 05:29:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 3,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15090008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/addledwalrus/pseuds/addledwalrus
Summary: Michael and Lisa overcome barriers to their relationship between 1988 and 1992.





	1. Every Rose Has It's Thorn

**1988**

A 1979 BMW pulled up outside the prestigious looking house and two young men stepped out soon after to scan their surroundings.

"You sure Lisa's here? I don't see her anywhere..." Christopher spoke up while lighting a cigarette and turning to glance at his Michael.

Michael ignored him and continued to gaze up at the driveway until a familiar face became clear in the distance.

"What did I tell you? There she is!"

"Huh? Where?"

"There!"

"That babe?"

"Yeah."

Christopher blinked as the young woman drew closer with a heavy suitcase. She called Michael's name and he opened up the trunk for her.

"I'm so glad you're both here to give help when I need it."

They spent the next hour gathering more valuables before joining each other in the car. Christopher sat down in the backseat as the radio crackled to life and an R.E.M. song blared at full volume.

"It's crazy the sort of music that's been popular this year. What's happening to good old synthesisers?"

"Synthesisers?" Michael questioned as he lowered the volume for the sake of his own concentration. "What do you mean?"

"I guess you wouldn't be aware as an accountant, but there's a big change coming. I can feel it. This time next year, it's gonna feel like a different era..."

"Yeah, like that will happen..."

Lisa let out a chuckle at Christopher's seemingly inane prediction before focusing on providing Michael with directions to the nearest pawn shop.

* * *

Lisa collapsed into the nearest chair in exhaustion as a week's work of clearing the house and selling anything that wasn't necessary to her survival took it's toll.

The now drab decor was a clear indicator that her father's home was just a skeleton of what it used to be and she would have felt tremendous grief, if not for the fact that the man himself had doomed her to such measures through countless dangerous choices.

Michael and Christopher soon returned from examining the record of everything that had been sold and the total amount gained as a result.

"Twenty grand..." Lisa muttered quietly after flipping through the pages. "We're not even halfway there..."

"So what else can we do?" Michael asked with great worry as he also took a seat.

The three former classmates spent the next hour or so discussing other ways to gain large amounts of money until Christopher made an outrageous suggestion.

"Lisa, you have some sexy stripper friends, don't you?"

"Yes, why?"

"You could convince them to provide their services here on their days off and..."

"Chris, stop. They'd never sink that low. They're dancers, not hookers."

Christopher frowned while Michael offered his own suggestion.

"I know it will lead to more debt in the future, but we could try asking all of our family and friends. Either that, or we consider actually selling this place..."

Lisa's face went pale and she buried her head in her hands with a heavy sigh.

"I can't believe it...everything he worked for comes to this..."

* * *

Michael lay in bed away from Lisa in the early hours of the morning and soon realized that she was crying into her pillow.

"Lisa...?"

"Sorry..." She whispered shakily, rolling over to face him after taking a few minutes to compose herself. "I'm just a bit overwhelmed, that's all."

"About what I said earlier, I didn't mean it..."

"I know, but maybe it is the best that we can do."

"No..."

"We're selling this house. I'll stay with my Aunt..."

Her voice faltered and Michael felt blanketed with guilt. He opened his mouth to reason with her.

"I know this is even harder for you, but it doesn't have to be like-"

"Yes, it does." Lisa interrupted with a surprising intensity in her voice. "I'll be fine, I promise..."


	2. I'll Be There For You

**1989**

"Confirm your names, please?" Officer Howard firmly requested as he grabbed his clipboard and eyed the young couple in suspicion.

"Lisa Bukowski."

"Michael Russo."

"Address and ID?"

Lisa gave her house and street number before handing over a recently issued driver's license. Officer Howard took it while continuing to regard Michael rather critically.

He returned Lisa's license after a few seconds and advised them both to take a seat.

"So you're a Bukowski?"

"Yes." Lisa replied, placing both hands on her lap and making eye contact.

"What relation do you have to George Bukowski?"

"He...he's my Dad."

"And you've requested my presence because you have some inside information that will help us catch his other associates?"

"Well, yes."

Lisa shifted her eyes towards Michael and he reached out to grasp her hand, before Officer Howard made a disconcerting proposal.

"Mr Russo, I would advise you to leave and make yourself comfortable in the foyer. You may feel you have a part in this for being her boyfriend, but we cannot risk endangering an innocent civilian."

Michael nodded and slowly stood up, only to stop when he realized just what the Officer was implying.

"Wait, so you're saying that she's a criminal like her Dad?! He snapped while gripping the edge of his chair in disbelief. "I've known her since high school and she's more law abiding than anyone I've ever met!"

"Michael, you have to listen to him. You've done enough for me already."

"No, I can't."

"Mr Russo..." Officer Howard spoke up again with the slightest hint of sympathy in his voice. "I know how hard it is for you to walk away, but your emotional investment is precisely the reason we can't have you involved."

Michael stepped backwards numbly and stared back at Officer Howard. Fear overwhelmed him as he began to make a desperate request.

"At least let me know how things are going. You know she's putting herself in danger..."

* * *

Lisa arrived at the designated meeting place in the docks at two in the morning with her suitcase to meet the group of armed men.

They were all large and harsh looking like George and she could hear her own heart pounding violently as they noticed her presence.

"Miss Bukowski...it's a pleasure to see you." The leader greeted with false warmth. "You're right on time to pay off what your Daddy owes us."

"I...I know..." Lisa responded fearfully while forcing herself to stand tall and not draw attention to the coat pocket where a listening device was hidden.

"Don't be scared, sweetie. No one's gonna bite...give me the suitcase, will you?"

"O-Of course..."

She did not budge as the man approached to claim his prize. He then turned and ordered a subordinate to begin counting the money, before conversing to the others in Polish.

Lisa did not understand anything they said and in her growing sense of terror, checked the time on her wrist before shifting away a minute earlier than planned by the police.

She would come to regret such an impulsive action for years to pass, as one of the men noticed her attempt to escape and aimed his gun without a second thought.

A muffled bang echoed in Lisa's ears before she felt herself suddenly lose strength and fall heavily to the ground.

The subsequent sight of blood soaking right through her thick coat convinced Lisa that it really was the end for her.

_"No, please not like this..."_


	3. Like a Prayer

_Michael felt a sick sensation in his throat and stomach upon finally allowed to see Lisa while police closed off the area to prevent other civilians from coming near._

_A team of medical staff were already keeping Lisa in a stable position as they shifted her unconscious body on to a gurney and began wheeling it towards the ambulance._

_The surreal scene made him want to call out her name, however impossible it would be to receive a response._

* * *

"Michael, are you listening to me?!" Rob Russo yelled, breaking apart the young man's harrowing recollections and throwing him back to the present.

"Sorry, Dad. I guess I just drifted away there..."

"Well, you better not have done that earlier today! Isn't your line of work supposed to require complete focus?"

Rob handed over the monthly sales report and Michael rolled his eyes while convinced that staring at numbers all year round was a surefire way to go insane.

He spent five minutes rechecking each page before returning the report to his father and claiming that nothing had been misrecorded.

"I guess you can be counted on after all..."

Rob then filed the report away in his office and lead Michael out the back of the garage, only to stop in horror when he saw his desecrated car.

"Michael, get back inside! Damn black kids..." He hissed, fuming in anger as his fists shook uncontrollably.

"Dad, calm down..." Michael tried to reason once they were both back in the office. "How do you know it was them?"

"How do I know? Who else would call us  _filth_ _y wop_ _s_ in this day and age?!"

* * *

_"I'm...alive?" Lisa thought in confusion as she opened her eyes with difficulty to witness bright but comforting light all around._

_She felt some warmth brush against her arm before Michael's distorted face came into view. The typical sounds and smells of a hospital became clear also, despite her wish to focus on him alone._

_"You did it..." He said quietly with a smile, before leaning forward to brush aside her damp hair._

* * *

Lisa switched on the television and found a place on the couch so that she could relax by watching a spin-off of the Tracy Ullman show. She avoided touching the right side of her torso while settling down, due to the scar that still ached badly despite five months of recovery.

_"I need to start taking painkillers, don't I?"_

The sight of animated singing children did help her to somewhat forget about the traumatizing encounter with her father's former business associates, until Aunt Magda entered the room and saw what was onscreen.

"Lisa, enough of this cartoon garbage. You are an adult now. Give me the remote."

She obeyed and Magda switched the channel to a news report detailing riots in Romania.

"You see, this is what should concern us. Listen carefully..."

Lisa bit her lip to stave off the urge to call out her aunt and instead wondered if it would ever be possible to tell someone other than Michael about her ongoing ordeal.

* * *

Magda spent a couple or so hours on New Year's Eve calling extended family in Poland and finding out how they were handling life, while Lisa took down Christmas decorations.

It was while she carried boxes into the basement that she remembered Michael and their potential future together. The way he had faithfully followed his part of the plan by calling the cops as soon as the twenty minutes were up, seemed to indicate that he could be trusted with a great deal.

It still felt rash to assume that he was the one however and she decided to continue biding her time before Magda loudly called her back upstairs.

"Lisa..." The middle aged woman greeted her with a surprisingly radiant smile as she emerged from the basement. "What do you say we go out and see the fireworks tonight?"


	4. Express Yourself

**1990**

An assortment of Christmas carols and more recent dance hits was already playing when Michael joined the party being held in the office.

He fetched himself a light drink and sat down upon a table to relax, though the arrival of a woman in a green shoulder pad dress prompted him to rise back to his feet.

"Hi, I'm Brooke. And you are?"

"Michael."

"So, you're our new payroll clerk? It's a pleasure to meet you..."

"You too."

She reached out to firmly shake his hand before adjusting her glasses.

"I guess you should know that I'm the boss' personal secretary. Any time he wants something, he calls me."

They conversed with each other for the next half hour, soon shifting from the subject of new computers to the necessity of changing one's wardrobe with the times.

* * *

Lisa leaned forward to flick the stop button on the stereo, marking the end of hours compiling a mixtape of songs she'd enjoyed during childhood and adolescence.

She placed her cassette in a secure case and packed it alongside the rest of her belongings, before rushing to get some rest in preparation for leaving the next day.

Aunt Magda had bought two plane tickets the day after hearing about Poland's electoral results and though the sudden decision had been overwhelming at the time, it didn't feel quite as daunting now that she'd notified friends and brushed up on her limited command of Polish.

An idea sprung into her mind and she quickly got out of bed to find another tape that would hopefully be used to store any memorable music she might hear overseas.

She uttered a prayer in her mind afterwards, asking for a safe journey and to be reunited with old friends as soon as possible.

* * *

The excited voice of a neighborhood child sounded some distance away as Michael got out of his car and entered the house through the garage like he used to do as a child.

His mother Judith greeted him with a smile and he returned the favor before asking about his sister Sharon.

"Who's talking about me?" A tall and slender brunette spoke up as she emerged from the living room. Her eyes widened upon noticing his presence and she came forward to give him an affectionate hug. "Woah Mikey, have you finally started working out?"

"Nah, it's just all the record keeping that I have to do. Good to see your natural hair again, by the way."

"Yeah, maintaining that perm was turning into a nightmare. Plus, this looks so much more sleek and classy."

Rob soon came downstairs to join in on the family reunion and they eventually settled around the table to say grace before eating.

Dishwashing duty went to Michael once the meal was over and he made no attempt to rush through the task as a result of Sharon asking all sorts of questions about his new job.

Retiring to his old rom proved no less comforting than it had in the past, even if most of the touches of individualism were now stored inside a box underneath the bed.

He spent an indefinite amount of time sifting through the 1970's and 1980's memorabilia before his memory caught up again with the present.

The thought of Lisa living away in a foreign country and not knowing when she would be back was enough to fill him with loneliness despite having his family close by.

He went to find some sheets of paper with the knowledge that writing a letter was the only way to contact her at the moment, though he had no idea if she would even receive it.


	5. Wind of Change

**1991**

"Must be her. I'll get it."

Michael was out of his chair before Judith could even react and opening the front door to allow Lisa inside for the first time since graduation in 1986.

Three heads turned to face the unrecognizable young woman while Sharon spoke up first.

"Do I know you? You seem really familiar..."

"I'm Lisa. I believe we met each other a few years ago?"

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot!" Sharon exclaimed as a distant memory returned. "You were such an awkward pair, trying to avoid my camera anyway possible..."

"Please!" Michael and Lisa found themselves crying out in unison before the former continued.

"Can't we just bury the past, Sharon? It's been five years."

"Your brother has a point. Just act like it's-"

"Mom, I'm twenty-nine! Don't you think my actions are my own business?!" Sharon suddenly lashed out, sounding no different from her angsty eighteen year old self.

Lisa seated herself down beside Michael in the ensuing tension and began to wonder if it were really a good time to make her importance known to the family.

She glanced towards him in uncertainty and he responded with words of reassurance.

"Hey, if you can handle ten months in the Soviet Union, this should be a cake walk..."

"What was that?" Rob asked gruffly, drawing their attention away from each other within the second.

"Nothing, Dad..."

Rob ignored Michael and focused entirely upon Lisa with a critical gaze that made her feel like she was under interrogation.

"I  _remember_ you being his prom date, but we never learned anything else. Who are your parents and what drew you back to him?"

"Well...I should start at the beginning. I'm Lisa Bukowski and my Dad-"

"Stop. That's enough."

"What?"

"You've told me all I need to know. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

Rob got up and stormed out of the dining room. Lisa lowered her cutlery in discomfort as Judith and Sharon abruptly stopped their litlle disagreement.

"What happened? Did I say something wrong?"

"No, you didn't." Michael replied after a few seconds of silence. "He's always had a short temper..."

Judith clasped both hands together in frustration upon hearing her son's words, while wondering if fate itself had put such a girl into his life for the sake of drama.

* * *

"Rob, you know it was uncalled for, leaving that girl hanging just when she was about to open up. If there's anything on your mind, you can talk to me."

Rob stopped halfway up the stairs and took a moment to consider his wife's offer of help, before trudging back down to vent.

"Judith, you remember when we were in high school?" He began while sitting upon the bottom step to recollect his thoughts.

"Of course, I do. What of it?"

"You knew about George Bukowski's gang then. And that I was one of their targets."

A tear formed in Rob's left eye and he covered his face to hide what had long been deemed a weakness by his own father.

Judith realized the source of his pain and promptly joined him at the foot of the stairs, so that she could provide comfort until he was strong enough to continue pressing on.

* * *

"Nirvana, right?" Lisa remarked as she removed the headphones in pleasant surprise at the sound that was both different and familiar.

"Yeah. Pretty fitting name, since they rock so hard..."

"Not bad, but it would give me a headache if I had to listen to the whole album."

Lisa pressed stop on the Walkman with a smile before removing the tape inside.

"So, is there anything else I've missed out on?"

"Nah, I think you're finally up to date."

"Great. Wanna hear what's popular back home?"

"Uh, sure..." Michael replied while preparing to be completely bamboozled by the music of an alien country.

It came as a relief when Lisa's selections sounded nowhere near as outlandish as he'd expected, though the language was still gibberish to his ears.

"I wish I knew what they were singing about. How much can you understand?"

"Not a lot, unfortunately."

"Oh."

"But hey, Kurt sings in English and we still don't know why he's screaming..."

"Yeah, I guess you're right..."

The two of them chuckled quietly as the music continued to play and were soon able to shrug off the previous day's events.


	6. Stuck in the Middle with You

**1992**

"Who is this boy?" George snapped in anger, entering the backseat after overcoming the initial shock of seeing how much street fashion had changed in six years. "Tell me you're not involved with him."

"Actually, Dad, I am." Lisa replied frankly as she seated herself beside Michael and avoided eye contact. "It's a long story..."

"Well, tell me how it goes. We have the whole afternoon."

Lisa swallowed in discomfort out of an unwillingness to dig up the dark past again. She decided to rebuff her father's wish for answers as a means of preserving her mental stability.

"Actually, it's not important. We're together and it's all that matters."

George cursed aloud at his daughter's response before attempting to get details from Michael.

"What have you done to my little girl? Why won't she talk about you?"

* * *

"Now that I look at you, I know we've definitely met before. What was your name again?" George finally composed himself enough to ask while Lisa ordered an extra drink for herself.

"Michael Russo. I'm a payroll-"

"Italian, are you?"

"No, I'm...well only half. I've always been closer to my Mom's side."

"Dad..." Lisa protested in concern, though she was promptly ignored.

"Funny you should think that, boy. We used to go after your kind when I was younger and there was this one kid who looked quite like you. He was a real stubborn one, resisting us all the way through..."

"Shut your mouth."

"Something wrong?"

"I said, shut your mouth."

Michael slammed his glass down on the table, prompting Lisa to flinch before the waiter approached once again in concern.

The sound of an outsider's voice was enough to make him realize the outcome of his anger. He excused himself and left the table to figure out why it hurt so much to hear his father being insulted, though Lisa's presence cut the attempt short.

"If you're leaving, then I am too. I can't stand another minute with him either."

* * *

_George passed out from intoxication later that night and woke up to find himself bound to a chair in a basement while two masked figures loomed over him._

_The pig faced woman removed her disguise to reveal herself as Lisa before producing a large scalpel and grinning excitedly._

_"Why the sad face, Dad? We're together again, aren't we?"_

_"No, not like this!"_

_"Remember when I was five and how you used to tickle me whenever I was upset? Well, now it's your turn..."_

_She nodded to her horse headed companion and he pressed the play button on his stereo._

_"Ladies and gentleman, the Red Hot Chili Peppers..." The young man announced before taking off his mask too and breaking into a dance number while Lisa viciously attacked George's face with her surgical instrument._

* * *

Lisa returned home with the results of her first year medical exam and in a good mood, settled down to finish some leftovers from the fridge.

She allowed herself a smile while eating at the fact that six years of turmoil seemed to have finally come to an end, now that she was in a stable home and had her life back on track.

The sound of Michael playing the guitar and singing in the bedroom only made her realize how much she enjoyed hearing him sing, regardless of how off-key he could be at times.


End file.
